1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transaction terminal apparatus that executes transactions with customers, and more particularly to a transaction terminal apparatus that uses a transaction medium such as a credit card on which information for settlement is stored to process a settlement that requires a customer's signature.
2. Description of the Related Art
When settling a purchase of a product at a retail shop such as a variety store or in a shopping centre by credit card, the sales outlet does not always have a credit card settlement terminal. Here, the shop assistant takes a credit card from the customer as well as the product being purchased and the settlement is processed in a place away from the sales outlet and the customer therein.
The transaction with the customer is processed, for example, according to the following procedure.                (1) The customer indicates to the shop assistant that they want to purchase a product.        (2) The shop assistant takes a credit card from the customer.        (3) The shop assistant takes the product and the credit card away from the sales outlet and moves to a credit card settlement terminal located somewhere such as a cashier counter.        (4) The information on the card is read by the settlement terminal and the purchase price calculated.        (5) The settlement terminal communicates with the server at the credit company and confirms that credit is available.        (6) After confirmation of credit, a receipt is printed by the settlement terminal.        (7) The shop assistant then returns to the sales outlet with the receipt, the product, and the credit card, and asks the customer to sign the receipt.        (8) The shop assistant checks the signature on the receipt against the signature on the credit card then returns the credit card to the customer and hands over the product.        
During the period between (3) and (7) of the above procedure, the customer may feel unease when the shop assistant takes charge of the credit card, in particular, if they leave to go to a place that cannot be seen by the customer.
In recent years, use of transaction terminal apparatus with a settlement function has become widespread. Transaction terminal apparatus with a settlement function (hereinafter referred to simply as a transaction terminal) is, for example a mobile terminal. In addition to prescribed entry and display units, it is equipped with a card reader for reading card information from a credit card and with a function for communicating with the server of the credit company to confirm credit availability. Such a transaction terminal being available to shop assistants in a sales outlet enables card information to be read and settlement processing, which includes credit confirmation, to be implemented within the sales outlet.
However, even when such a transaction terminal is used, a customer can, as before, still feel unease during the relatively long period between when the shop assistant takes the credit card from the customer to when the card information has been read, credit confirmed, a receipt printed (when the transaction terminal has an inbuilt printer), and the receipt signed, because the shop assistant retains the card for this length of time.